Ford’s plug-in hybrids will talk to electrical grid

Ford has announced that it has developed a system for plug-in hybrid electric …

Several automobile companies have been taking steps towards the implementation of hybrid technologies, and Ford is not about to be left behind. On Tuesday, it announced the development of a control system that would allow its electric cars to communicate with electric grids to adjust the timing of its charging schedule. The technology is designed for use in Ford's plug-in hybrid cars that will reach the market by 2012.

The new technology, which is conceptually similar to smart grids, allows customers to program when the car recharges, for how long, and at what utility rate. When plugged in, the battery system of the car can talk directly to the grid through a wireless network with smart meters provided by utility companies. The settings are chosen by the car's operator through a touchscreen in the car's dashboard, and works with other Ford technologies like SYNC, SmartGauge with EcoGuide, and Ford Work Solutions.

Integral to the success of this system is the cooperation of utility providers in the program. Ford has provided American Electric Power in Columbus, Ohio with the communications technology, so that the company can develop the relevant parts to hold up their end of the "conversation" between the car and the grid. Ford's other utility partners, with which it will ostensibly share the technology in due time, include Con Ed of New York, Southern California Edison, Hydro-Qu�bec, and Progress Energy of Raleigh, N.C.

Once the technology is installed, the user has quite a bit of control. For example, the car could be set to charge only during the off-peak hours of midnight and 6am, or only when the grid is operating from renewable energy sources like wind or solar power.

Ford also envisions the technology as extensible to areas outside the home, for use at malls or offices, with settings for each location or situation. The system would allow each operator to be responsible for the cost of the electricity they are siphoning from others' properties. For example, a credit card would have to be swiped, and once the user is identified, the car could recharge according to its owner's settings. Gone would be the days of "stations" that only let drivers power their cars in certain locations. With this technology, every powered property is a pump, electricity instead of gas.

Ford was also recently approved for two grants from the Department of Energy for its pursuit of electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid infrastructure development. One $30 million grant will fund Ford's collaboration with utility providers to implement its power management system in vehicles. A second $62.7 million grant, to be matched by Ford, will assist production of an electric-drive transaxle for use in hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Ford also plans to bring an electric commercial van to market in 2010, and to have its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle by 2012.